The heart of the maritime world: London’s ‘mercantile’ coffee houses in the Seven Years’ War and the American War of Independence, 1756–83

Abstract

This article focuses on the role of mercantile coffee houses during the Seven Years’ War and the American War of Independence. The purpose is to examine mercantile coffee houses as public and private spaces, and to examine why people chose them as spaces in which to conduct business. The article examines how London’s mercantile coffee houses enabled the maritime population to understand, and remain informed about, maritime affairs during both wars. This includes how their presence facilitated the co-ordination of transoceanic trade, how their existence concentrated people in one place, and how they helped facilitate maritime and naval logistics.